How to Make Videos for Social Media
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10 min read
Published Date: January 24, 2025
We've gathered our best tips on how to make videos for social media, including how to choose the right platforms and tools to succeed in your industry.
If you’re considering how to make videos for social media, there are a lot of factors to explore! Almost every social platform now has a video component. People are 52% more likely to share videos than any other type of content, and video is no longer nice to have; it’s imperative that videos are part of your social media strategy!
If you want to make scroll-stopping videos for social media, you’re in the right place! Stay tuned for a deep dive into your social platform options, best practices for how to make videos for social media, and tools that make it easy to edit and share.
Understanding top social media platforms
To get the most out of your videos for social media, it’s important to understand the goals and demographics of the most popular platforms to determine where to invest your time.
Facebook
Facebook is the main social platform from Meta. It is considered the most popular and widely used social platform worldwide with over 3 billion monthly users. Facebook offers many ways to connect with friends and brands. Despite its popularity among all age groups, Facebook’s younger audience is dwindling, while the number of older users is growing.
Instagram
Instagram is also owned by Meta. It is a visually driven platform focused on photo and video sharing on one’s profile (called a “grid”) or over personal stories that disappear after 24 hours. Though not as dominant as Facebook, Instagram boasts 2 billion monthly active users, most of them between 18 and 34 years old.
Twitter/X
The platform X, originally Twitter, is a microblogging site intended to share short snippets of text alongside videos, photos, and links. X has historically been a go-to for people to get news and participate in conversation over hashtags. X has over 600 million monthly users, over half of those under 35. There are significantly more male than female users on X.
LinkedIn
LinkedIn is a professional networking site focused mostly on career and company updates. It is most popular among millennials. (60% of its users are between 25 and 34 years old.) Over 1 billion people use LinkedIn to connect with businesses and colleagues.
YouTube
Most people wanting to learn how to make videos for social media will recognize YouTube. Owned by Google, YouTube is the most popular video sharing site in the world, with nearly 2.5 monthly active users. This includes 100 million paid subscribers. YouTube is most popular among young adults, though it is a go-to for all age groups for entertainment, educational content, and more.
TikTok
TikTok, which launched in 2016, has amassed 1.5 billion users. TikTok’s platform is based on sharing short
videos for social media audiences. Over half of its users are under 30 years old, and most creators are aged 18 to 24. TikTok’s model of latches on to viral songs, sounds, and trends to grow its content base.
Pinterest
Pinterest is a social media platform that performs more like a search engine. Users create “boards” where they can pin their favorite recipes, ideas, styles, and yes—videos! Videos integrate seamlessly into Pinterest’s interface, which contains mostly static images. Pinterest boasts 537 million monthly active users, 70% of whom are women. Pinterest reaches a variety of age groups and is growing quickest with Gen Z. It also claims to reach a large percentage of high-income shoppers.
This is a short list of the most popular social media platforms where we’ll focus our attention. Keep in mind video for social media trends are always growing and changing, so you should keep up with the latest trends!
How to make videos for social media that fit your audience
Before you dive into how to make videos for social media, step back and ask, “Who is my audience?” The great thing about video for social media is you can share across platforms, but it’s always smart to choose the right platforms and optimize your video to that platform.
Start with a goal: For people learning how to make videos for social media, it can be tempting to make tons of content and see what sticks. We recommend a more thoughtful approach. Do you want to sell more of a specific product? Do you want more brand awareness? Are you trying to break into a new market? What video for social media would support these goals?
Consider demographics: Look at the demographics you most want to target and which platforms align with your intended outreach. If you sell to primarily women in the B2C space, Pinterest may be a better fit than X. If you are more of a B2B company, consider connecting with professionals on LinkedIn.
Make it natural: Blend your videos seamlessly into the platform. For example, if you’re selling an expensive stand mixer on Instagram, a basic ad on Stories would be easy to swipe by. But if you include a video of someone using the mixer to make a delicious batch of cookies, your viewers are more likely to stick around.
Video for social media best practices
You’ve chosen your platforms, analyzed your audience, and gathered the tools you need to make great videos. Here’s how to make videos for social media that outperform the competition.
1. Optimize for each platform
Instagram/TikTok
Use vertical videos (9:16 format), focus on trends, and keep content short and visually engaging.
YouTube
Leverage long-form content, storytelling, and SEO-friendly titles and descriptions. Remember, YouTube is also a search engine!
Facebook/LinkedIn
Consider subtitles and captions for these videos for social media as many users watch without sound.
Twitter/X
Use short, impactful clips to grab attention quickly. Though the character count is up, X favors bite-sized content.
Pinterest
Vertical videos are more noticeable in Pinterest’s format. Use eye-catching details and colors. Videos for this social media platform are all about aesthetics.
2. Hook viewers in the first few seconds
Start with a compelling visual or message to grab attention within the first 3–5 seconds.
Incorporate movement, bold text, or intriguing questions.
3. Keep videos short and engaging
Consider how to make videos for social media that appease short attention spans. Aim for 15–60 seconds for most platforms.
Use concise storytelling and clear calls to action. What do you want your viewer to do next?
4. Use subtitles and captions
Many viewers watch videos without sound, so captions ensure accessibility and message delivery. This is especially important for videos for social media on Facebook or LinkedIn.
5. Incorporate calls-to-action (CTAs)
Encourage viewers to like, comment, share, or click a link.
Be clear and direct with your CTA. On videos for social media, this may look like “swipe up,” “buy now,” or “subscribe.”
6. Leverage trends and challenges
Participate in platform-specific trends or challenges to boost visibility.
Use trending sounds and hashtags to improve discoverability, especially on platforms like TikTok.
7. Test and analyze
Experiment with different video lengths, formats, and posting times. For those learning how to make videos for social media, it may take some trial and error.
Use insights and analytics tools to measure performance and adjust strategies.
8. Add branding
Subtly include your logo, brand colors, or watermark in videos for social media to reinforce brand identity without overwhelming the viewer.
9. Engage with your audience
Respond to comments and encourage interactions to build community and loyalty.
10. Invest in quality
Prioritize good lighting, clear audio, and high-resolution visuals.
Use editing tools or apps to polish your videos and add effects. (We’ll cover how you can do this with Covideo below!)
Consistency and optimization
And that brings us to our major takeaway: consistency is key! If you don’t have the time and resources to run five different social media accounts, cut down to the accounts that have the most reach. It’s worse to have empty accounts sitting around than to not have them at all. Create a posting cadence containing videos for social media that you can follow consistently, and track your results.
How do you make videos for social media that perform well? Here are some additional tips to ensure your videos consistently reach and engage viewers:
Optimize for each platform: Tailor video content to fit each platform’s best practices, such as using vertical video for Instagram Stories and concise, catchy intros for TikTok.
Use relevant hashtags: Hashtags make your content discoverable on certain platforms. Use a mix of popular and niche tags to target both general and specific audiences. Experiment with what’s trending.
Analyze and adjust: Track metrics to see which videos and posts perform best, then adjust your strategy accordingly. Focus on content types that yield the most engagement, whether that’s live videos, tutorials, or customer testimonials.
Combine with personalized outreach: Your social media posts will typically appeal to a broader audience. Pair this with customer outreach like personalized video tailored to each person’s specific interests.
Personalized video vs. video for social media
Even if your brand is mainly focused on how to make videos for social media, personalized video could be a huge asset for your business. While most videos for social media cast a wide net and can be easily discovered or searched, personalized video is tailored to a very specific recipient or group of recipients. Personalized videos are more likely to convert because they are hyper-specific.
Here are some examples of personalized videos for different industries: | Here’s how to make videos for social media that cover the same topics: |
|---|---|
A customer is interested in a specific model of Ford truck and fills out an inquiry online. The salesperson at a dealership will then record a vehicle walkaround, showing all the features of the truck to send over. They share this on a landing page with a link to schedule an appointment. | A new Ford truck arrives at the dealership, and a salesperson may record a more general video for social media, where they would spend less time highlighting the specific features a customer asked for. They may pan over the lot to show the numerous options. |
A realtor has a client who is interested in having a large kitchen for entertaining. When the perfect house hits the market, they take extra time showcasing the kitchen and its updates in a video. Then, they set next steps for when the client could visit. | Relator videos for social media can be effective, but they may highlight the features they assume most people would be interested in when they’re not focused on a specific client. The walkthrough would be more general. |
A student who plays football and wants to study biology is offered a scholarship at a college. The admissions counselor makes a video for them showing the football facilities and introducing the professor who would teach their first biology class. | It’s unlikely that every football player who applied to a college is also a biology major. So, an admissions department making videos for social media may instead focus on only one subject, sport, or activity per video, so it is more universal. |
As you may imagine, learning how to make videos for social media and personalized outreach together is a winning strategy. You have a wider reach making marketing videos for social media and then a more targeted approach with personalized videos for customers, prospects, or contacts lower in the funnel.
How to make videos for social media with Covideo
At Covideo, we provide the best tool for creating personalized videos which showcase your brand and intent. Additionally, we have editing, organizational, and sharing tools built into our platform for those interested in how to make videos for social media.
Recording features
Videos for social media all start with a high-quality recording. With Covideo, you can record on your phone or webcam, but you can also upload videos you’ve recorded anywhere else! Our mobile recorder offers way more tools than your phone’s typical camera, like grids to line up your shot, the ability to record with your front and rear camera at the same time, and a teleprompter overlay.
Trim and merge videos
Have a video that needs a little bit removed at the beginning or end? The trim feature will cut it down to the perfect size. If you need to combine multiple clips into videos for social media, use the merge feature.
Stabilization and noise cancellation
Recording somewhere noisy, busy, or distracting? Covideo’s noise cancellation feature can help you capture clearer audio. Our mobile app also includes a stabilization feature to reduce camera shaking, which is helpful on the go.
Organization and sharing
If you work within a larger organization and are focused on how to make videos for social media, you know things can get disorganized fast. Covideo allows you to create folders, collaborate with your team, and share to social accounts.
Master creating videos for social media
With the right tools, creative ideas, and knowledge of the most popular platforms, you can learn how to make videos for social media in no time! Take time to experiment and see what works best for your industry.
With Covideo, you can easily create personalized videos and videos for social media more efficiently. Request a demo today and check it out!